The 29th annual Critics Choice
Awards occurred in Santa Monica on Sunday night, with notable victories for
Oppenheimer, The Holdovers, Barbie, Succession, Beef, and The Bear.
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| 'Oppenheimer' won the best picture, and Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie accepted the best comedy award for 'Barbie' |
Hosted for the second consecutive
year by Chelsea Handler, the opening monologue featured her humorously dubbing
herself "microdose Barbie."
She took a playful jab at studio executives who had to endure a six-month
"forced vacation" during
the writers' and actors' strikes. Handler also acknowledged the significant
achievements of women throughout the past year.
"Women were victorious in all venues," Handler declared. "Barbie at the box office, Taylor Swift and Beyonce with their tours, Gwyneth Paltrow and her ski trial. Women show up and dominate our culture. You could almost say it was the year of women. … Women could say that. Bill Maher would say, 'Is she still talking?'"
During the 29th annual Critics
Choice Awards, host Chelsea Handler brought humor and highlights to the event.
She playfully praised Oprah Winfrey for her involvement in the film she
produced, "The Color Purple."
Handler then delved into humorous commentary about some of the most notable
films and TV shows, joking about Ali Wong in "Beef," Cillian Murphy's
character's fascination with uranium, and the widespread admiration for Pedro
Pascal in 2023. She also humorously acknowledged Barry Keoghan's performance in
"Saltburn" and made a quip about Golden Globes host Jo Koy.
Handler playfully expressed
admiration for older men, mentioning her hypothetical interest in Martin
Scorsese. She noted, "Unfortunately,
Martin Scorsese isn’t here tonight, but that’s not gonna stop me from letting
everyone in this room know that I would toss him around like a little Italian
meatball." This comment was a direct dig at a joke made by Jo Koy
during his Golden Globes monologue that didn't receive as many laughs as
expected.
The film "Oppenheimer" emerged as a big winner, securing accolades for Best Picture, Best Ensemble, Best Supporting Actor (Robert Downey Jr.), and Best Director (Christopher Nolan). Nolan credited Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin's book "American Prometheus" as a significant influence. Emily Blunt accepted the ensemble award on behalf of her "Oppenhomies," and Robert Downey Jr. took a moment during his speech to humorously acknowledge past critics who had criticized his work. "Oppenheimer" also secured awards for Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Visual Effects, and Best Score.
"Barbie" secured multiple
awards at the 29th Critics Choice Awards, notably winning Best Comedy. Although
initially announced during a commercial break, host Chelsea Handler later
rectified the situation and invited star and producer Margot Robbie and
writer-director Greta Gerwig to the stage.
Expressing gratitude, Robbie handed
the microphone to Gerwig, who thanked her co-writer and partner Noah Baumbach.
Gerwig emphasized their intention to make each other laugh, which ultimately
led to "making the world laugh." "Barbie" also received
awards for Best Song ("I'm Just Ken"), Best Original Screenplay, Best
Production Design, Best Costume Design, and Best Hair and Makeup.
Da’Vine Joy Randolph won Best Supporting Actress for her role in "The Holdovers," continuing her success from other awards shows, including the Golden Globes. Similarly, Paul Giamatti secured the Best Actor award for the same film, adding to his victory at the previous week's Golden Globes. In his acceptance speech, Giamatti humorously remarked on his memorable trip to In-N-Out after the Globes, which went viral on social media. He also made a lighthearted joke about the attendees receiving their "pizza in a bag," presumably referencing the meal served at the awards show. Dominic Sessa took home the award for Best Young Actor.
At the 29th Critics Choice Awards,
"Succession" achieved recognition with awards for Best Drama Series,
Best Actor in a Drama Series (Kieran Culkin), and Best Actress in a Drama
Series (Sarah Snook). Elizabeth Debicki won Best Supporting Actress in a Drama
Series for her role in "The Crown," while Billy Crudup received the
corresponding award for his performance in "The Morning Show."
"The Bear" was named Best
Comedy Series, and actors Jeremy Allen White, Ayo Edebiri, and Ebon
Ross-Bachrach all secured acting prizes. "Beef" also emerged as a
major winner, clinching awards for Best Limited Series, Best Actor in a Limited
Series (Steven Yeun), Best Actress in a Limited Series (Ali Wong), and Best
Supporting Actress in a Limited Series (Maria Bello).
Jonathan Bailey won the Best Supporting Actor in a Limited Series award for "Fellow Travelers." In his acceptance speech, Bailey highlighted the show as a reminder of the historical presence and struggles of the LGBTQ+ community, thanking those who paved the way for representation.
Meryl Streep won Best Supporting
Actress in a Comedy Series for her role in "Only Murders in the
Building," although she was not present to accept the award. Emma Stone
secured the Best Actress award, expressing gratitude for the recognition and
humorously mentioning her ongoing journey of learning not to care about
critics' opinions.
At the 29th Critics Choice Awards,
the SeeHer Award, recognizing the accurate portrayal of women and girls in
media, was presented to America Ferrera by her co-star Margot Robbie from
"Barbie." Robbie praised Ferrera for her fearless truth-telling.
In her acceptance speech, Ferrera acknowledged the meaningfulness of the award, emphasizing her personal journey as a first-generation Honduran American girl who grew up yearning to see people on screen who looked like her. Ferrera made waves with her monologue in "Barbie," addressing the challenges of being a woman in contemporary society.
She expressed the importance of
representation, stating, “I grew up as a
first-generation Honduran American girl in love with TV, film, and theater, who
desperately wanted to be a part of a storytelling legacy that I could not see
myself reflected in." Ferrera highlighted the evolution in the
portrayal of fully dimensional Latina characters on screen, crediting writers
and fellow actors who have contributed to this positive change.
In a powerful moment during the 29th Critics Choice Awards, America Ferrera, after receiving the SeeHer Award, delivered an empowering message, stating, “We are all worthy of having our lives richly and authentically reflected.” Her words resonated, receiving a standing ovation, and the camera captured Taraji P. Henson, who pointed to her arm tattoo that reads "The Truth." Ferrera also acknowledged Greta Gerwig for demonstrating that "women’s stories have no difficulty achieving cinematic greatness and box office history at the same time."
Harrison Ford was honored with the
career achievement award, introduced by his director from "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,"
James Mangold. Mangold praised Ford as a hypergiant in the industry,
highlighting his decades-long career and immense talent. An emotional Ford took
the stage to accept the award, crediting luck and the collaboration with
wonderful filmmakers for his successful career.
